Moments
by Kyo's Favorite Kitty
Summary: Small moments in time that happen between Sano and Mizuki. Series of oneshots. Rating is for future uploads.
1. That Man

-1"Mizuki go away!" he complained at her as her warm sleeping form snuggled closer to his very awake one. There was no answer, not that he'd expected one. She was an oblivious sleeper as always and Sano felt he had as little chance of waking her as he did of winning the Olympics that spring. This was not something he found likely.

"Mizuki, you're killing me !", he whispered as she latched herself onto him, her hands closing on fistfuls of his shirt around his back. Though she remained asleep, Sano was unable to unclench her hands. "I can't keep being a gentlemen if you keep crawling into my bed."She slept on, not noticing the position she was putting him in.

Sano groaned in frustration, she was in small shorts and a t-shirt; and she was vest-less, he realized as she cuddled even closer. Against him, she felt like the girl he knew her to be and he wished silently that she would admit her secret to him so he could tell her that he loved her.

"Sano I love you", she mumbled in her sleep as one arm slipped dangerously close to his rear-end, He groaned again in frustration.

This was impossible to handle. He loved her with all his heart and he was hot and he was starting to think he might need a cold shower and she was definitely not helping his peace of mind with her rubbing and cuddling. He had to make a decision about how he would continue his life with her, if he could survive the night.

Sano made his decision quickly and silently, he kissed her lips very softly and wrapped his arms around her small body. He let himself be the man he always wanted to be with her. Just for tonight, he would be that man.


	2. Savior

-1Sano let his head roll along his shoulders as the water poured over him, too hot and too cold all at once. He washed away the hours of keeping his hands off of her and the hours of pretending he didn't know she was a girl, pretending it wasn't obvious. He let his guilt and anguish flood down the drain with the sweat from running.

An hour later, when the water had grown icy, Sano slammed it off and wrapped a towel around his waist. Mizuki was at dinner with Nakatsu and Sano wanted to spend his little alone time reading in the relative quiet.

Strolling out into his rooms, he immediately realized something was not as he'd predicted. The light was on, the music was loud and Mizuki sat on the floor. Her shirt was ripped, her hair mused, and tears poured down her pink face. Red framed her eyes as if she'd been crying for some time. A bruise spread down her cheek.

He was at her side in an instant, cradling her against his bare damp chest and she was sobbing violently into his shoulder. "Sano, he was drunk, Oh Sano", she gasped out as he held her tightly, "he wasn't himself, but Sano" she tried unsuccessfully to explain the situation to him.

Sano was beyond angry, he wanted to hurt the man who had hurt his Mizuki. Wanted to punch and hit and kick and be as violent as he never allowed himself to be. But she needed him right now, he could get violent later.

"Oh Sano, he didn't know, but still I'm so scared Sano." she sobbed on, oblivious to his furious thoughts.

"Shh, shh…" he mumbled as he cuddled her closed and stroked her short and soft hair. This seemed to sooth her. Slowly she seemed to relax, coming closer to sleep. He let her cry herself out on his shoulder and eventually fell asleep on him.

Sano carried her to the bunk bed, laying her on his bunk, being unwilling to attempt to climb up the ladder with her in hand. Cowardice and a secret love of having her close while he slept made him afraid of dropping her. In her sleep she reached out to his form as he retreated to change and her hand closed around his towel, which immediately fell to the floor.

Glad that she was still fast asleep and blushing a fierce shade of red, he pulled soft pants up over his long legs and allowed himself to crawl in beside her underneath his comforter. Mizuki snuggled up to him once more, her hands grasping his neck and side. Sano held her as he drifted off to sleep.

Tonight he would be her savior.

Tomorrow he would get his revenge.


	3. Control

-1Sano wandered into his dorm room at precisely 6 PM on a Monday evening to find his roommate sprawled across the floor in some sort of stretch that Sano supposed was a form of his latest obsession, yoga. The boy, who Sano knew to be a girl, arched her back towards the ceiling, her shirt inching up to reveal her pale skin and inny bellybutton. The shorts she wore left far to little to the imagine and made Sano realize just how oblivious his school friends must be to not realize Mizuki was a girl.

"What's that supposed to be? A salute to arthritis?", Sano asked dryly as he dropped his bag to the floor, giving him an excuse to look away from her body. She dropped to the floor with a soft "WUMP" when she realized that she was being watched, a flush covering her delicate nose and a surprised look coming to the pert mouth.

"You're back early Sano," she said gently, "Did you get hurt? Need a shoulder rub? Or do you just need a shower?"

He was losing his stiff control of his body. (teehee stiff) She was too cute and too out there and too much fun. And she was too off-limits. He couldn't lose it like this around her. Why did she do this to him?

A thought flew unbidden to his mind: _Revenge. _Too many nights he had spent dreaming of her, watching her, and wanting her. So Sano did exactly what he always wanted to do around her.

Sano flipped off the sweaty running shirt he'd been wearing, disposed of his thick socks and stripped off his sweats before swiftly striding to the bathroom with a quick, "A shower sounds nice".

Mizuki sat on the floor gaping at the closed door for several minutes trying to figure out just how she had lost control of the situation.


	4. Laundry

-1Sano trudged hurriedly down the stairs dragging two large baskets of dirty clothes and linens. The day was hot and he wanted to finish in a hurry so he could go back to the dorms for a nap before dinner. His body wasn't use to the weight of two laundry baskets, having taken Mizuki's while she was practicing karate. The rush was due to his not wanting her to come and take over the task because she felt responsible.

The laundry room was deserted at this time on a Saturday afternoon and Sano enjoyed the rare silence. Humming a little tune, he began to sort their clothes into color coded piles. Darks in one machine, lights in one, and whites in another; his mom would be proud. Sano let his mind wander away from the task and towards Mizuki, as it often did.

Her pale skin, expressive eyes, and soft lips. The way she let all her emotion show on her face. The simple tasks that brought her unexplainable joy. The way her body fit with his when they shared his bed.

His thought process stopped immediately as he realized where his thoughts were leading him. _Not here._ He would have these thoughts later, by himself, but not where he could be caught. No one would know that he cared for his roommate in a more than brotherly way. He would not be the reason she left.

At the bottom of the basket there were several bundled up white items. He reached down and picked one up. A pair of very feminine underwear revealed themselves and he quickly shoved them into the machine, a blush flaming onto his face. The next bundle was unfamiliar to him and he held it up in front of himself to examine it further.

A white, zip-up, low neck top, rather like a tank top, hung limply in his grasp. It looked small and he could tell that the material was stretchy. _What could this possibly be for, its much to feminine for everyday use._ And the answer came to him in a blast of thought. _Feminine_. She used it to hide her breasts!

No sooner had he realized this, then the door swung open to reveal a panting and sweaty Mizuki, eyes wide with terror. She took in Sano, the open machines, the empty baskets, and her vest hanging between them. In a swift movement, she crossed the room, swatted the vest into the machine, inserted soap, and slammed all three lids.

"Laundry is my job. Okay?" she said without looking up.

"Okay" he answered, a smile breaking his features, "I would have let you do it if I realized you enjoyed it so much." The girl still wouldn't meet his eyes as he retreated to the door. He couldn't resist before leaving however, "Cute underwear."

And he was gone.


	5. The Meet

-1The track field was packed with aspiring champions, all keyed up to compete in the days track meet. Green grass tickled Sano's ankles and knees as he kneeled at the side of the field with the other members of his team. Audience members screamed merrily in camaraderie in the packed stands as the competitors lined up at the starting point. He wondered vaguely if Mizuki was among them, here to cheer him on; he telepathically promised to do his best.

The whistle blew and the announcer shouted that it was time for the high jump, the third event of the day. Sano jogged to the start line, the fourth contestant, his heart pumping in excitement. This wasn't a game to Sano, it wasn't even a competition. To Sano, this was like breathing. Simple, natural, and something that kept him alive.

Contestant three knocked the bar down with a heart wrenching groan from the large audience and slowly returned to the starting line. Sano took his place, heart speeding to meet the cheers and chants of the crowd. He rolled between his heels and the balls of his feet, shoes squeaking. The shrill tone of a whistle screamed through his reverie and he was off, racing toward the bar. His muscles screamed as he leaped, body arcing gracefully, his eyes meeting the sky.

-----------------

Mizuki joined the excited crowd milling about in the stands before the meet had even begun. Hundreds of overexcited teenagers leaned over each other to see the action taking place on the field below. White suits, black suits, red, yellow, and green; all the colors swirled together in a portrait of organized disorder. She smiled hugely. Somewhere out there, one of those suits, was her Sano. Telepathically, she wished him good luck with all her heart and pushed her way to the front of the stands.

She watched the first two events with disinterest but jumped to her feet when the high jumpers were called to their marks. Sano was fourth she could see and he looked wholly un-nervous. That made her smile her very biggest, she could tell that Sano was jumping for himself, and not just to win.

Sano took to the mark after number three sent the bar crashing down. He was lithe, beautiful, and serious. She crossed all her fingers in an American good-luck and closed one eye, peeking through the other. The whistle was blown and Sano dashed toward the bar, angling for his jump. He took to the air, back arching gracefully, his body turned toward the sky.

------------

The audience watched as Sano Izumi picked himself up from the mat, all of them screaming excitedly. A young boy broke away from the audience to jump the short fence down to the track field. Running surprisingly fast for a boy his size, the smaller youth reached Sano half-way across the field and hugged him mightily. Sano picked the young boy up, laughing heartily, and swung him around before carrying him off the field, as the fifth contestant took his turn.

Sano had broken the his previous record for any jump and he felt that he deserved to rest for the continuation of the meet. The audience groaned as they realized that he would not be returning to the field, but did not seem to notice the strange closeness of the two boys.

Except Nakatsu, of course, who was furious.


	6. Rooftop

-1Mizuki stared up at the stars and moon; clouds floating serenely in the midnight sky. She was on the roof of the dormitory, laying on the cold cement and thinking about her future and where it might take her. For now, she was alone; the boys thought she was out with one of her Blossom friends.

_I hadn't thought past meeting Sano. But he doesn't know I'm a girl yet, so how would we have any chance of spending the future together? We couldn't. But I want to be with him. Forever. We have a year left together and then… nothing._

A loud knocking near her head brought Mizuki out of her reverie Sano stood as beautiful as a Greek statue in the doorway, the moon lighting his handsome face and making his shirt nearly see-through. She gulped. He looked puzzled and disheveled, a light blush spread across his cheeks. The twinkle in his dark eyes could have been a continuation of the night sky around them.

"Mizuki", he whispered, "Are you alright?, I've been looking for you everywhere. I knew you would have told me if you went out with Rio." He was at her side, hand on her arm, when she didn't answer. "Mizuki?"

The light touch brought her out of her thoughts on the way the light caressed his body. "Hmm?", she mumbled, turning her head to look at his beautiful face, instead of his chest. "Oh. I was just thinking about graduation. And what's going to happen after."

Her face fell into a sad smile and she looked back up toward the stars.

"Do you plan to go to college in America?", he asked gently. At her quick nod he smiled a little. "I applied to several schools in America, you know." The swift turn of her head this comment caused left her hair in disarray.

"What?!" she squealed, "Sano! How come you never told me?!". Her expression was priceless and he couldn't help but let his deep laughter reach the sky in loud, hearty bursts.

"I wanted it to be a surprise for you. You seemed so worried about being alone, and I want new high-jumping challenges. It's the perfect place for both." He grinned infectiously.

They sat in silence for a time, both deep in thought staring up at the night. Mizuki thinking about what the future might now hold and Sano about telling her the truth. Neither thought about the time as they sat on the rooftop, cuddled up together for warmth.

After a good half-hour had passed in quiet, Sano stood up with a sigh, throwing one hand out to help her up to her feet. She smiled in a silent thank you and they walked down the staircase together. The corridors were dark and empty, reveling in the absence of rowdy boys. Dark doors stood guard over sleeping boys and the lamps swung gently in the night breeze flowing in through the open windows.

Sano unlocked the door to their room and let her in ahead of him, letting the door swing shut behind them. Still in silence they prepared for bed, taking turns in the bathroom, and went to their separate beds.

"Goodnight Mizuki", Sano said as he turned off his lamp, plunging them both into darkness.

"'Night Sano", she whispered sleepily, ready to sink into dreams of college with Sano.

"Hey", he whispered, "Maybe we'll be roommates at college!"

Her eyes shot open in shock and horror and she groaned into her pillow. Now she wouldn't get any sleep.

A/N weak finish… R&R please!


	7. Waltz

Mizuki stared down at her CD collection in frustration and sighed; she couldn't decide which music to use to practice her dancing. Some were too fast and others akin to a funeral march, some too sweet and others too sad. Quickly, she skipped past the American rock and Country. The next set were purely emo songs and her alternative CD's, nothing danceable.

Ah ha! She held up the CD in triumph; Johann Strauss! Suddenly feeling as if she needed to rush, she hastened to the boom box on Sano's desk and put the CD in, switching to track fourteen. Tugging on her PE clothes over her freshly showered legs, she threw her school uniform onto her bunk and cleared the floor of the dorm.

She walked to the very center of the room and cleared her mind and heart. Pushing the play button on the remote , she got into her waltz position, more natural to her than any other stance, and waited for the first beats to begin.

--

Sano pushed open the door of the dorm room quietly, in case Mizuki had decided to lay down for a nap. The first thing he noticed was soft and delicate music playing. The second was his roommate twirling gently, arms outstretched to an invisible partner. A small smile graced her lips, her eyes closed, and her hair ruffled in the breeze from the open window. PE shorts hugged her slim hips and waist, the shirt clinging slightly. Her bare feet moved in a studied way and he realized that she was waltzing with herself, her arms held in the girl's position.

Gently, he laid his bags by the bed and slipped out of his shoes, removing his jacket. Tapping to the music, he prepared his mind and body to dance. He let himself smile as he took one step to the left bringing him directly into her arms.

--

Mizuki's eyes shot open in surprise as her ghost partner became very, very solid, And tall, she realized . And handsome. They didn't miss a step, twirling gently around the small room. In the back corner of her mind she realized that he was leading and that was why they hadn't fallen. She also knew that she was blushing a fiery red.

"Do you do this often?", he asked her, a smile on his lips, as one song led to another. He kept them moving effortlessly as he waited patiently for an answer.

Mizuki looked down at her small bare feet, moving between his large ones, and blushed a darker shade. "Only when I have too many thoughts in my head. It helps me to gain control."

Sano looked slightly concerned, a small frowm forming from his smile. He forced her chin up with two fingers, then swept the hand back to her waist gracefully. "Is something wrong?, you can tell me."

To his surprise she laughed, "No, no!", she cried, "I just got fed up with my homework. I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

He gently shrugged off the question in her voice by twirling her several times and dipping her to the floor as the song ended and the player fell silent. His strong dark arms brought her gently back to a standing position.

With a smile, she tried to pull back, but he held her firmly against him. Confusion spread over her pert face and into her large eyes. She gave another gently tug backwards, attempting to look up into his face.

It was, unfortunately, this tug that cost them both their balance and Mizuki soon found herself lying on the floor, Sano on top of her, legs straddling her waist. His large hands were on either side of her neck, his face dangerously close to her own. For a precious moment she thought he would kiss her, and he stared fixedly at her lips.

Within twenty seconds, however, they were both bright red and had sprung apart, Sano tumbling backward in his haste. He stood in the corner, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and staring at the ceiling. Mizuki sat on the floor her eyes trained steadfastly to the carpet.

"I'm gonna shower", Sano mumbled, "Sweaty from practice". He hastened to the bathroom, closing the door rather less gently than was necessary.

Mizuki stared at the bathroom door in shock and a slow smile spread across her face. Climbing to her feet, she dusted off her shorts and tugged her shirt hem straight. She crossed the room to Sano's desk and restarted the CD, pulling her limbs back into position, she relived the moments in Sano's arms.


	8. Sick Part One

A/N This is only Part One of Two Parts. Sorry i'm afraid of jellyfish but no kiss, I'll try for the next story.

Sano stared down at his knees, willing them to help him stand. He felt exhausted and sluggish , strange considering he had hardly worked at practice. In fact, he had never cleared the bar and he had cut out early to shower and go back to the dorms. And yet he still sat on this bench in the locker room, trying to force his body into some semblance of movement.

The realization that Mizuki and Yujiro were waiting for him in the stands drove him into standing and walking out into the blinding sunlight. She was right outside the door, throwing a stick for Yujiro to catch. The very happy dog ran over when he noticed Sano and jumped on him. It took all of Sano's strength to catch himself on the wall behind him.

Mizuki laughed as she tugged the dog down and clipped his leash on, apparently unaware of his physical condition. "Sorry" she panted, obviously out of breath from chasing the dog, "I didn't think he'd jump on you. He's really hyper today, I don't know why. This is our third walk! And we played catch twice! I think he's ready for summer…" she went on talking, describing the things that excited her about summer.

He tried to listen, "hmming" and "uh-huhing" at proper intervals, but Sano's concentration was on walking. He was so sore that he couldn't listen or react. He could hardly remain on his feet without aid.

Mizuki noticed his stumbling and stopped abruptly, bringing Yujiro up short. "Sano?" she whispered, looking at his face, "what's wrong?"

He leaned on a tree, "Just tired" he mumbled, "Let's keep walking."

She did not look convinced in the slightest and, ignoring his protests, she put her hand to his forehead. He was blazing hot. "You have a fever" she stated simply. She slipped the leash down her wrist and placed her arm about his waist. Next she tugged his arm across her shoulders and grabbed his wrist. Then she set off.

Sano felt silly, being half carried by a girl, but he didn't have the strength to walk himself. Plus, no one was around se he didn't have witnesses to his shame. She seemed oblivious to his discomfort as she dragged him through the halls.

They dropped off Yujiro at his doghouse and continued on to the dormitories, meeting only oblivious studiers and Nanba, who was hitting on some girl he had found in the entrance way. At the dorms she opened the door and dragged him inside, pushing him into bed.

She tucked him in as gently as any mother and wet a washcloth for his forehead. He let her, enjoying the attention and the relief of the washcloth. Next, she left him strict instructions and left to get medicine from Umeda.

He let her do all this, reveling in the feeling of being loved and loving someone in return.


	9. Sick Part Two

Mizuki rushed down the halls knocking people too and fro and eliciting not a small bit of curiosity. At her own dorm, she turned and entered, locking the door firmly behind her. No one would be allowed to bother Sano until he got better. Except her of course.

Her patient was sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning in nightmares. She placed her hands on both his thin shoulders and held him still. His eyes opened slowly, barely awake. She used the opportunity to give him his next dose of medication and to strip off his sweaty shirt. He let her, drifting in and out as she worked.

Once she had set him back down, she set about making him more comfortable. Blankets were piled high in him and another cool washcloth applied to his forehead. She changed into shorts and a T-shirt in the bathroom to avoid heat stroke from the stifling temperature the room had reached.

When she returned from the bathroom he was fitful again, mumbling and kicking. Mizuki went to him and placed her hands on his shoulders once again. In his sleep, he fought her; mumbling still louder. After five minutes he settled, lying flat on his back and mumbling one last thing before silencing, "But Mizuki, I Love You."

--

By the time he awoke she had reasonably composed herself and sat on the floor beside his bed doing her homework. Sano awoke with a start feeling frightened and worried, but he relaxed when he saw her there. "I dreamed that you were gone" he said, sitting up.

Mizuki helped him, placing pillows behind his back to prop him up. His temperature was still high, she informed him, and she wouldn't allow him to go to dinner. The food she had retrieved for him was placed on his lap and he ate it without complaint. He was a more good natured patient than most she'd cared for, and she didn't mind a bit that she didn't have to force food down his throat.

He couldn't help but notice the slight pink tinge to her cheeks and the way she avoided his eyes as she took the tray and placed it on the floor. When he lay back down she tucked him in and turned as if to leave. Sano caught her sleeve. "Don't leave." he said, "Stay with me."

The look of surprise on her face was rivaled by the red flare of his cheeks, which had nothing to do with his fever. "W..whh…what?" she stuttered.

He looked sheepish, his eyes lowered carefully to the blankets and his hands twisting in nervousness. "I can't sleep well by myself. Stay with me please?". It was a question, not a command.

The small hands tugging back the blanket brought his eyes to her blushing face. She crawled into the bed beside him and tugged the blankets back up around them both. "Sleep" she ordered, closing her eyes determinedly.

He gathered her close and did exactly as she said.


	10. Sleeping

A/N The KISS

Mizuki knelt by the side of the their bunk bed and stared at his sleeping angel's face. Sano had gone to bed early, right after dinner, and she'd been sitting on the floor watching him ever since. His lips parted softly as his breathing got deeper and slower, his eyelids flickered gently in dreams, and his hair slid across his forehead as his head sunk into the pillows. The sheets caressed his slim waist and accentuated his long legs. Sano slept in only jogging pants, and his bare chest shone golden in the moonlight and his chest rose and fell in quiet breathing.

He'd had a hard day, she knew, with long classes and even longer jumping practice. The bar had been set higher and higher every day and he was still clearing it. Even though he didn't know that Mizuki attended his practices, she still felt as if he jumped for her. Every time he flew over that bar, she tried to remember this sleeping angel, how peaceful he looked in this state, the same peace she imagined was on his face as he saw the sky.

As she stared at the golden face, his chocolate brown eyes blinked open in a dazed semblance of awareness. He looked around in surprise, still not quite awake. "Hi" he whispered to her, rubbing one hand across his eyes. "How long was I out?" He looked embarrassed at having fallen asleep so early.

"Not long", she whispered back, "Only half an hour. Go back to sleep. You need it, you've worked really, really hard. Just go back to sleep. I'll take care of everything that needs to be taken care of. "

He lay back down, but scooted toward the wall. "Climb in with me." he whispered gently. Those brown eyes closed as he held out an arm to her, but one peeked open again when she didn't climb in . "Come on", he urged, "I'm lonely by myself. I need a big teddy bear."

Gingerly, she climbed in beside him and closed her eyes, settling in at his warm side. As her breathing slowed, an arm snaked out around her waist and held her tightly. Her lips curved into a smile and she snuggled closer to his side and sunk towards sleep.

--

Sano opened one eye gingerly, to check that Mizuki had fallen asleep, as she appeared to have. Her breathing was slow and even, her lips parted softly. Those pale eyelids flickered as they searched through a dream, her hair slid across her forehead and down her face as she sunk into the pillows. The sheets caressed her tiny waist and the moonlight caressed her arms and cheeks as it crept through the window. She slept in only shorts and a tank top, revealing too much pale silky skin. He grinned.

Gently, so as not to wake her, he leaned over her sleeping form and kissed her hesitantly on the lips. Satin lips swept over silk lips and he sighed in contentment. Leaning back, he cuddled up to her and let himself sink towards sleep.

--

Mizuki waited until she felt his breathes slow in his chest before she allowed the smile to come to her face and the slight sigh to fall from her lips.


	11. Romantic Tryst

Sano stood in the doorway of their dorm room, completely rooted to the spot by the sight before him. Red and white candles glowed from every surface, soft music played from the boom box, and roses stood in vases on several horizontal surfaces. The air smelled of vanilla and something vaguely fruity and he saw that the shades were drawn to block anyone peering in to see what the odd lighting came from. The bathroom door was open slightly and he could hear soft singing coming from inside, presumably from his roommate.

The next thought that crossed Sano's mind made him frown. Perhaps she was with someone, a lover or a boyfriend. Maybe she'd been using his night away as time to plan a romantic tryst. Possibly she was with him, in _their_ bathtub right now. He shook these thoughts away; he would have noticed if she had taken up with a boy. It wasn't like Mizuki to keep secrets from him, and she wouldn't risk her secret being blown by dating a Osaka student. So what in the world could she be doing?

The door had been locked, he knew, and she seemed to have taken other precautions to hide her plans from other dorm members. Her phone lay on the desk, clearly charging and just as clearly in the off position. A towel had been stuffed at the foot of the door to block the music from bothering other students. She even seemed to have unplugged the fire detector in case the candles should manage to set it off. And it just happened to fall on a night Sano was supposed to be out of town visiting Shin; who had canceled due to a cold that kept him in bed. What could it be but some sort of romantic interlude?

Deciding it was better that he make known his presence then to have the lovers come stumbling out in an awkward position, Sano reopened the door quietly before slamming it loudly. He made a loud production out of dropping his bags and taking off his shoes, but he heard her soft scream and a splash. Hoping she was alright and not drowning from shock, her lover would have saved her, right?, he went to his bed and sat down amidst his blankets, trying to make more noise.

"Sano?" he heard her call gently, "Is that you?". Her voice shook and he heard clattering, as if she was hurrying to dress and look boyish. "Yes, it's me. Are you alone?" he couldn't help the question that slipped from his lips. He heard her indignant squeak and her angry, "Of course I'm alone you dolt. I always bathe alone."

The smile came to Sano's lips easily and he laughed to himself. It's been silly to worry that she'd taken up with someone. She was pretending to be a boy and therefore could hardly date one without starting rumors. The girl in question appeared in the door of the bathroom, which he could see was also bathed in candlelight. A tight towel-turban was wrapped about her hair and her skin was flushed pink above her t-shirt hem.

"What are you doing here?" she asked loudly, moving to turn the light on at a normal level. He chuckled at her obvious indignation at being caught doing something so girly, but also couldn't help but notice how nice she looked in her shortest shorts as she walked to turn the music off. Shaking the thought away, he sighed. "Shin got sick, so I came back early. I wanted to be here for Christmas Eve. I'm sorry to interrupt your… er… celebration."

Mizuki groaned in frustration and turned to him. "I was just enjoying myself, okay? Don't tell anyone! I just… I like the scent, and …" her words tumbled off, she was obviously searching for something to say. He watched in fascination as she twisted her hands in the hem of her shirt, trying to find the right words to explain her actions.

Sano laughed without warning, causing her to look up in surprise. With one hand he was gesturing for her to come, with the other he dug through his bag. Hesitantly, she stalked towards his bed, afraid he might be about to pull a camera on her. Instead, he lifted a bottle of sparkling cider and two cups from his bag and placed them on his bedside table. She looked at him in some confusion, but he simply smiled. "I like the smell too, vanilla right?" she nodded, "I'll never tell if you won't."

She looked so relieved that he laughed as he stood up again. "Now let's celebrate this thing the right way." Sano turned the overhead lights back off and stuffed the towel back into the crack under the door before turning to their small TV and tuning in to a local station playing Christmas classics. They sat down on the bed together, a cup of cider a piece, and brought in the holiday together.

A/N weak ending I know, but it's late and I'm tired. Christmas in…er… August!


End file.
